Toudou Heisuke
"His face may have looked innocent, but he'd been given the title of captain for a reason. He was a really friendly guy, and even though he appeared to be young, he was still older than me. His skill with a sword was inspiring, especially at his age." Toudou Heisuke, '''known as '''Heisuke Toudou '''in the localization, is Captain of the Eighth Division in the Shinsengumi. Personality Heisuke is well-intentioned, cheerful, and somewhat childish. He is externally bright and optimistic, but he has a habit of acting tough and smiling to hide his pain or turmoil. However, he is a notoriously terrible liar, so his non-genuine smiles are easily identifiable. He is earnest and innocent, especially in matters of the heart, and is eager to prove himself. Though he is not pacifistic, as he enjoys fighting and (in the anime) will actively seek out brawls, he dislikes having to hurt or kill innocent people. No matter who his superiors are, he may disobey direct orders if they go too strongly against his conscience. Similarly, Heisuke usually prioritizes causes over politics. Despite the fact that his political views do not align with those of the Shinsengumi, he considers the conflict between the emperor and shogunate secondary to keeping the peace in Kyoto. However, after the Shinsengumi starts directly answering to the shogunate, Heisuke leaves to join the Guardians of the Imperial Tomb. His habit of "leaping first, asking questions never" sometimes gets him into trouble, and he can make situations worse by talking himself into a corner or blaming others instead of taking responsibility for his own mistakes. However, Heisuke is also prone to depression and bouts of insecurity and self-loathing, especially if he blames himself for making a wrong decision. Heisuke can also be jealous, especially as regards others' attention towards Chizuru, but he never crosses into possessiveness and is generally respectful of her personal boundaries. Backstory As a bastard from the Toudou family, Heisuke had nowhere to go, and ended up in the Shieikan. There, he met his fellow future Shinsengumi officers. In the games ''See also: Toudou Heisuke/Walkthrough'' Heisuke is a protagonist, and one of Chizuru's potential love interests. Chapter 1 Meeting the Shinsengumi Heisuke is first encountered during Chizuru's introduction to the rest of the Shinsengumi officers, bickering with Harada and Nagakura. He is against killing her from the beginning, and believes her when she insists that she didn't see anything amiss. However, despite taking Chizuru's side, he is also responsible for accidentally mentioning even more sensitive information in front of her. He apologizes for this just before Saito escorts her back to her room. Escape or Explanation Choice If Chizuru stays and tries to explain the situation, Heisuke appears again alongside Nagakura, Harada, and Saito. He appears to have steeled himself to the possibility of killing Chizuru, as he tells her that "a man should know when to accept his fate". However, he changes his mind again once he discovers Chizuru's true gender. If Chizuru prioritizes revealing that she is a girl, Heisuke argues with her briefly about their respective responsibilities as men until she explains that she is female. Though he initially reacts with disbelief, she does not need to persuade him. Chizuru's Story Heisuke remarks that now that he knows Chizuru is female, he cannot see her as anything else. He does not interject throughout her explanation of her situation, but is quick to tease Nagakura about how soon he changed his mind once he found out she was a girl. One Week Later Choice If Chizuru explores the compound, Heisuke arrives midway through her conversation. When she addresses him as 'Toudou-san', Heisuke requests that she call him by his given name. He then explains that he is not going to Shimabara for the girls, and just wants to spend time with his friends. After Harada suggests that Chizuru start dressing like a girl again, he expresses fervent agreement, and "almost literally jumps for joy" when she offers a tentative promise to do so. Noticing that Chizuru is still unhappy at the prospects of being kept in the compound, Heisuke cheers her up by assuring her that once Hijikata gives her permission to leave, they will take her anywhere she wants to go. After Inoue arrives and asks where the three captains are going, Heisuke provides the excuse that they are going out training. However, when Inoue suggests that he join them, he quickly backtracks and instead claims that he promised to give Chizuru a tour of the headquarters. Once Chizuru agrees, he takes her hand and leads her away, accompanied by Harada. News From Osaka Heisuke interrupts a brief conversation between Okita, Chizuru, and Saito to inform them that dinner is ready. If Chizuru did not explore the compound earlier, he requests that she call him 'Heisuke'. Otherwise, he expresses disapproval at Saito's possible friendship with Chizuru. Saito apologizes, reassuring Heisuke that he was only there on business, and the four of them go to the common area for dinner. Once they arrive and the meal begins, Nagakura steals Heisuke's food, which appears to be a regular occurrence. After Inoue brings them news of Saito's injury, Nagakura mentions "the Corps", causing Chizuru to question his meaning. Heisuke attempts to explain the difference, but Harada punches him to prevent him from endangering Chizuru by revealing their secrets. Shinsengumi Adventures 1, Part 1 A few months later, Inoue requests that Chizuru check on Heisuke because he missed morning training. Chizuru arrives at his room to find him "sound asleep and completely wrapped around his futon, hair and clothing askew". When she explains that breakfast is ready, Heisuke grumbles at her for some time, requesting that she let him sleep, before opening his eyes and recognizing her. Chizuru's presence in his room agitates him enough that he wakes up more fully, and agrees to get up and eat breakfast. Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 (Heisuke) Chapter 5 (Heisuke) Chapter 6 (Heisuke) Chapter 7 (Heisuke) Final Chapter (Heisuke) In other routes Hijikata's route Okita's route Saito's route Harada's route Kazama's route Following Chizuru's separation from the rest of the Shinsengumi, Heisuke is not seen again. In the anime In the musicals ''Main article: Toudou Heisuke/HakuMyu'' Heisuke is portrayed by Ikeda Junya in HakuMyu Saito-hen through Toudou-hen; by Ozawa Ren in HakuMyu Reimeiroku and HakuMyu Shinsengumi Kitan; and by Kizu Tsubasa in HakuMyu LIVE 2. In the fandom ''Main article: Toudou Heisuke/Fandom'' Gallery ''Main article: 'Toudou Heisuke/Gallery Quotes * "Leave off, you grumpy old bastards." (Chapter 1, to Harada and Nagakura) * "Just call me Heisuke. Everybody else does. After all, we're gonna be living together for quite a while." (Chapter 1, to Chizuru) * "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's going on here, Hajime? You and her buddies now?" (Chapter 1, to Saito re: Chizuru) * "If I don't get up, Hijikata'll come running in here nagging at me like he's my mom." (Shinsengumi Adventures 1, to Chizuru) Trivia Category:Characters Category:Routes Category:Protagonists Category:Shinsengumi Category:Furies